Power-spud for dredges.



s. A. MOORE.

POWER SPUD FOR DREDGES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15. 1915.

1,186,421. I Patented June 6,1916.

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S. A. MOORE.

POWER SPUD FOR DREDGES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15, 1915.

1,186,421. Patented June 6,1916.

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amoeml oz TED STATES PATENT onnrcn SAIVIUEL A. FIGURE, OF LEAPWOOD, TENNESSEE.

POWER-SPUD FOE DREDGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

Application filed December 15, 1915. Serial No. 67,051.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. Moonn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leapwood, in the county of McN airy and State of Tennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Power-Spuds for Dredges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to power spuds for dredges, the object in View being to produce novel means for mounting and operating a spud such as is used in connection with dipper dredges for the purpose of securely anchoring, bracing. and supporting the body or hull of a dredge preparatory to and during the dredging operating.

It is essential and of the greatest impor-' tance, that the power spuds of a dredge be positive and reliable in use when employed for anchoring and bracing purposes, so as to avoid any unnecessary expense in the shifting of the machine. If a spud is not positively locked when in its useful position, there is great danger of the hull of the dredge sinking during the digging operation or capsizing when the boom is swung outboard, either of such accidents often necessitating the building of a dam behind the vessel and pumping out the water therefrom before the dredge may be raised.

The object of the present invention is to produce a power spud which is absolutely reliable for the purposes stated and is in fact self-locking and only capableof movement when the gearing controlling the same is set in operation. 7 p

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:-Figure frame comprising the uprights 1 which are fastened to the deck or bodyof'the dredge and connected at their upper ends by means of a top cross bar 2.

The connection between thetop cross bar 2 and'each upright 1 consists of a'hood designated generally at C and comprising the oppositely arranged hood plates 3 which are bolted as shown at 4 to the cross bar 2 and also bolted as shown at 5 to the upright. 1, the hood plates 3 being arranged at opposite sides of the members 1 and 2. A bearing block 6 also connects the meeting extremities of the members 1 and 2 and is provided with a concave bearing face 7 the purpose of which will presently appear.

A pivoted and tilting head 8 is mounted between the hood plates 3 and is supported by means of a transverse worm shaft 9 which extends through the head 8 and also through extensions 10 of the hood plates, said shaft 9 forming the pivotal connection between the frame andthe head 8. The shaft 9 is journaled in bearing boxes 10 on the hood plates 3 and one end of said shaft is received in a housing cap or collar 11 secured to one of the boxes 10'. The other end of the shaft 9 projects through the opposite box and has fast'thereon a bevel pinion 12 whichmeshes with and is driven by an other bevel pinion 13 fasten the end of an upwardly extending shaft 14 connected by bevel gears 15- and 16 to a power shaft 17 which ordinarily is of sectional construction independently of the other or others. The tilting head 8 is formed with one or more rocker faces 18 which are concentric with the shaft 9 and which always ride in' contact with the convex bearing face .7 hereinabove described.

The inner face of the tilting head 8 is channeled as shown at 19 and contains a plurality of bearings 20 for a worm shaft 21, which extends lengthwise of the tilting head. Fast on the shaft 21 is a worm wheel 22 which meshes with and is driven by a worm 23 fast on the shaft 9, rotary motion thus being imparted to the worm shaft 21. Fast on the same shaft 21 is another worm 24 of greater length than the worm wheel 22, the worm 2 1 being formed with quite a number of convolutions or threads so as opening extending lengthwise of the tilting head 8, the spud arm 26 carrying at its lower end a spud, 27 of any approved design or construction.

From the foregoing description taken in connect-ion with the accompanying drawings it will now be understood that when the shaft 14 is thrown into operation, it imparts motion to the transverse worm shaft 9 and the worm wheel 22 then imparts rotary motion to the worm shaft 21, the worm 2% meshing with the worm face 25, serving to shift the spud arm 26 in the direction of its length either upwardly or downwardly. In this way the spud arm may be raised or lowered and sufficient pressure exerted on the spud to elevate, the barge or hull of the dredge if necessary to a safe elevation. for the dredging operation. Furthermore, the spud arm is retained and locked in its adjusted position by means of the worm 2st the teeth of which have a small pitch rendering it impossible for any pressure on the spud arm 26 to imparta turning movement to said worm 2%. By reason of mounting the shaft 21 on the spud arm head and extending the same in parallel relation to the spud arm, and by providing the long worm 2st on said shaft which meshes with the worm face 25 of the spud arm, a long engagement or mesh is obtained between the teeth of the worm and. the worm face of the arm 26, preventing any liability of the arm slipping in relation to the head, a thing that happens occasionally with the ordinary type of gearing now in common use and which, of course, has the effect of displacing the barge and occasioning the loss of a considerable amount of time in order to readjust and properly position the barge. The locking of the spud arm. is rendered additionally secure by reason of the engagement between the worm 23 and the worm wheel 22 as the worm wheel cannot turn the worm 23. The driving mechanism is also extremely simple in that motion is imparted directly to the transverse worm shaft 9 and directly therefrom to the other worm shaft 21 and the spud arm 26, the shaft 9 forming the pivot on which the tilting head 8 is adapted to turn in order that the spud arm may be given any desired angle as indicated in Fig. 3.

By providing the concaved bearing face and the rocker face or faces working in contact therewith, the load is removed from the transverse worm shaft 9 which also forms the pivotal connection between the spud arm head and the supporting structure.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination with a supporting member, of a rotary worm shaft supported thereby, means for driving said worm shaft, a worm on said shaft, a tilting spud arm head mounted to turn on said shaft as a center, a spud arm slidable in relation to said head and having an external worm face, a second shaft extending parallel to the spud arm and journal on said head, a worm-wheel on the last named shaft driven by the worm on the first named shaft, and

a worm also mounted on said second shaft and meshing with the worm face on the spud arm.

2. The combination with a supporting member, of a rotary worm shaft supported thereby, means for driving said worm shaft including a gear mounted directly thereon, a worm on said shaft, a tilting spud arm head mounted to turn on said shaft as a center, a spud arm slidable in relation to said head and having a worm face, a shaft journaled on said head, a worm wheel on the last named shaft, a worm also mounted on the last named shaft and meshing with the worm face on the spud arm, a stationary bearing having a concaved working face, and a rocker face on the spud arm head working in contact with said concaved face.

In testimony whereof T aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL A- MOORE;

W'itnesses D. B.GOOCI-I, G. W. MOGUIRE.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eaten. Washington, D. C. 

